It's been a very busy week and it's not over yet. Not wanting to totally neglect the blog, I'm posting a recipe to tide you over until normality is resumed next week (hopefully). I had bought home a pumpkin from the allotment. It generously gave itself for a few meals, but I needed to find a good use for the remaining wedge that lingered in the fridge. So earlier this week I made a Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Tea Loaf. It was an all round winner with kids and adults alike. Only one slice now remains tightly wrapped in tin foil on the kitchen worktop. I think it's days are numbered.

Preheat the oven to 170C/ GM 3. Lightly grease a loaf tin about 10 x 20cm, and line with baking paper.

Using an electric whisk, beat 200g of muscovado sugar (I used dark, but light would do) and 4 egg yolks (save the whites) together for 2 - 3 minutes until pale and creamy. Lightly stir in 200g of finely grated pumpkin flesh, the zest and juice of a lemon, 100g of chocolate chips and 100g of ground almonds. Then sift in 200g of self-raising flour, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp of cinnamon and a good grating of nutmeg, folding it into the mixture using a large metal spoon.

In a separate bowl, beat the 4 reserved egg whites until they form soft peaks. Stir in a heaped tablespoon of the egg white into the cake mixture. Once combined, fold in the rest of the egg whites as carefully as you can.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin ensuring the surface is level. Bake for about 1 hour, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Once done, remove from the oven and leave the cake in the tin for 10mins to cool a little. Then remove the loaf and place it on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.